Acetylene-gas generator.



No. 684,689. Patented Oct. I5, 190:.

c. 6. HUMAN.

AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Feb. 27, 1899. B'enawed July 10, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shaet L Flal 6 @3 11; e jwuawboi Ma yar; C. G- flame/v.

m: nunms PETERS co. wuorouruo. WASHINFITON. n. c.

1 No. 684,689 Patented Oct. I5, 190:.

c. 1;. HUMAN.

AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Feb. 27, 1899. Renewed July 10, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shut 2 $1 was gamma won W v c. Hum an I 351 1 abbome G I m: Nomus PETERS co, Prmm mac. WASNINGTQN, n. c.

UNITED, STATES PATENT OF ICE.

CHARLES G. HUMAN, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,689, dated October 15, 1901. Application filed February 27, 1899. Renewed July 10, 1901. Serial No. 67,809. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES G. HUMAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene- Gas Generators; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in acetylene-gas generators; and it consists of the features, arrangements,and combinations hereinafter described and claimed, all of which will be fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a section taken through my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a section taken through the generating-tank and the water'supply chamber. Fig. 3 is a section taken through the device for automatically controlling the supply of water to the generating-tank, the parts being shown on a larger scale. Fig. 4 is a front view of the same. Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating the construction of the covers controlling the openings in the generating-tank. Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line X X, Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters indicating corresponding parts in the views, let the numeral 5 designate the water-tanlgand 6 the gasometer telescoping therein. Passing through the center of the water-tank 5 and projecting both above and below the same is a pipe 7, whose upper extremity is closed, while its lower extremity communicates with the airspace of a small water-receptacle 8, located below the tank. This pipe 7 forms a guide for the gasometer, which is provided with a tube 9, through which the pipe 7 passes. This pipe 7 is formed with an opening 7, located above the water-line of the tank and normally concealed by the tube 9. The purpose of this opening is to permit the escape of gas when the pressure becomes too great and raises the gasometer sufficiently to expose this opening below the bottom of the tube 9.

The gas then escapes by way of the pipe 7 into the air-space S of the receptacle 8 and thence to the atmosphere through an outletpipe 10. pipes 12 and 13 project below the water-sun face of the receptacle 8. The upper extremities of these pipes project above the waterlevel of the tank 5. The upper extremity of the pipe 12 is provided with a check-valve 14, which allows the gas to pass into the gasometer, but prevents its return. The upper extremity of the pipe 13 is open to receive the gas, which passes therefrom by way of a branch pipe 15 to the building or buildings to be supplied. The generating-tank 16 contains a rotary carbid-holder 17, made fast to a hollow shaft 18, through which passes a shaft 18 journaled in the tank 16. The protruding extremity of the shaft 18 passes through astuffing-box 19, secured to the tank. The exposed extremity of the shaft 18 is provided with a crank 20. The hollow shaft 18 is secured to the shaft 18 by means of setscrews 21, whereby as the shaft 18 is rotated The lower open extremities of two the carbid-holder is turned. This holder is formed of wire screen, and the water is delivered thereto from a perforated spray-pipe 22, located in the upper part of the tank 16 and connected with the water-supply pipe 23, passing through the sponge-holder 25, mounted on top of the generating-tank, and provided with a perforated or screen bottom 25, adapted to support the sponge 26, but arranged to allow the gas to pass freely from the generating-tank. The gas passes from the top of the sponge holder into a pipe 27 and thence into the pipe 12, with which it is connected at a point below the water-tank 5. The water-pipe 23 is connected with one branch of a trap 28, whose opposite branch is connected with a pipe 29, attached to the bottom of the water-chamber 24, which supplies the water delivered to the carbid in the generating-tank. The upper extremity of this pipe 29 communicates with a hollow plate 30, located in the chamber 24, and provided with openings 30 for the escape of water. In the apertured side of this plate is formed a dovetailed groove in which is located and adapted to slide a gate 31, provided with a central opening 31 of sufficient size to expose all the holes 30 of the plate 30. Beneath this gate 31 is located a coilspring 2, which, if unresisted, will raise the gate sutficiently to close all the openings 30 and entirely cutoff the supply of water from the chamber to the generating-tank. The gate 31 is of sufficient length both above and below the opening 31 to close all the holes of the plate 30, according to the position of the gate. To the upper extremity of this gate is attached a rod 33, whose upper end is provided with a horizontal projection 33, which lies in the path of a horizontal flange 34, formed on the top of the gasometer 6. It the gas is generating too fast, the gasometer will rise and relieve the rod The gate will then be forced upwardly by the coilspring sufficiently to cut oft the escape of water from the ports 30. The generation of gas will then cease, and as the gasometer lowers its flange will engage the upper extremity of the rod 33 and force the gate downwardly sufficiently to open one or more of the ports 30, allowing the Water again to flow to the carbid in the generating-tank.

The plate 30 is supported in the waterchamber by means of a rigid vertical rod or shaft 35, secured to the top of the chamber. This chamber 24 is provided with a funnel shaped mouth 21, through which the water is introduced.

The carbid is introduced to the generating.

tank through an opening 16, normally closed by a screw-cover 36, which is shown in detail in Fig. 5. In the lower part of the tank 16 is located an ash-pan 37, which may be removed and replaced by way of an opening 38, normally closed by ascrew-cover 36. One head of the carbid-holder 17 is provided with an opening normally closed by a door 17, attached to a loose collar 17, mounted on the hollow shaft 18. \Vhen supplying the carbid, the door is opened and the holder is moved to bring the opening into line with the opening 16 of the generating-tank.

As the water is sprayed upon the carbid the gas is generated and passes up through the sponge or other absorbent material 26, located in the receptacle 25. This absorbent substance deprives the gas of the moisture with which it is normally laden and the dry gas passes thence by way of the outlet-pipe 23 and the branch 27 to the pipe 12 and thence into the gasometer above the water in the cooling-tank 5. The check-valve 14 prevents the return of the gas into the pipe 12. From the gasometer the gas passes into the pipe 13 and thence by way of the branch pipe 15 to the buildings or houses to be supplied. The water-trap 28 prevents the gas from escaping by way of the water-supply pipe 23'.

In case the pressure of gas becomes abnormal and the gasometer is forced to rise it will move upwardly until the port '7 is exposed in the pipe 7, allowing the gas to escape by way of the pipe 7 into the air-space 8 of the receptacle 8 and the outlet-pipe 10. If

the gas-press'u re becomes abnormal and the gasometer is so heavily weighted that it is not free to rise, the gas will pass out through the lower extremity of the pipe 13 and escape through the water in the tank 8. It the pressure is lighter in the gasometer than in the gencrating-tank, the check-valve 14 will remain closed and the gas from the generating-tank will escape by way of the lower extremity of the pipe 12 and thence through the water in the receptacle 8. Hence an explosion becomes impossible with myimproved machine, since provision is made for every possible contingency or emergency that can arise in using a machine of this class.

The top of the gasometer is provided with a platform 6, adapted to support weights which may be placed thereon to give the gasometer the necessary resistance to produce the pressure required to force the gas to the locality where it is to be consumed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In an acetylene-gas.generator, thecombination with the main wateror cooling tank, the gasometer located therein, and the generating-tank, of a water-chamber, independ= ent of the said water-tank, a hollow plate located in the said water-chamber, and provided with openings, a spring-supported gate connected with the said plate and having a central opening of sufficient size to expose the orifices in the hollow plate, the gate being of such length that its upper or lower part will close the openings in the hollow plate, a rod connected with the said gate and located in the path of a flange formed on the gasometer, and a trapped pipe leading from the hollow plate to the generator.

2. The combination with the cooling-tank, the gasometer telescoping therein, and the generating-tank,of a water-receptacle located adjacent the cooling-tank and having an openended outlet-pipe leading from its bottom to a point on a line with the water-level, a pipe terminating at one extremity in the gas-space of the gasometer, this extremity being controlled by a check-valve, the other extremity being open and submerged in the water-receptacle, said pipe being connected with the generating-tank, another open-ended pipe, one end of which is located in the gas-space of the gasometer, while the other extremity is submerged in the water-receptacle, a suitable connection between the pipe and the 10- cality where the gas is to be used, another water-chamber, a hollow plate located therein and provided with openings, a spring-supported gate connected withthe said plate and having a central opening of sufficient size to expose the orifices in the hollow plate, the gate being of such length that its upper or lower part will close the openings in the hollow plate, a rod connected with the said gate and located in the path of a flange formed on the gasometer, and a trapped pipe leading from the hollow plate to the generator.

IIO

3. The combination with the cooling-tank, the gasometer telescoping therein, and the generating-tank communicating with the gasometer above the water in the cooling-tank, of a pipe rigidly connected with the coolingtank and projecting above the gasometer, said pipe being provided with an orifice located above the water-line of the cooling-tank, a tube attached to the gasometer and adapted to slide on the said pipe of the cooling-tank, which pipe forms a guide for the gasometer, the said tube normally projecting below the water-level of the tank and closing the orifice of the pipe against the escape of the gas, a water-receptacle having an air-space with which the lower open extremity of the said pipe communicates, the said'spacehaving an outlet to the open air, the upper extremity of said pipe being closed, another water-receptacle, a hollow plate located therein and provided with openings, a spring-supported gate connected with the said plate and having a central opening of sufficient size to expose the orifices in the hollow plate, the gate being of such length that its upper or lower part will close the openings in the hollow plate, a rod connected with the said gate and located in the path of a flange formed on the gasometer, and a trapped pipe leading from the hollow plate to the generator.

4:. The combination of the cooling-tank, the gasometer telescoping therein, the generating-tank, a water-receptacle located below the cooling-tank and having a space in its top communicating with the open air and an openended pipe leading from its bottom and extending upward to the level of the water in the receptacle, a pipe leading from the gasometer to the generator, the extremity within the gasometer being provided with a checkvalve allowing the gas to pass freely to the gasometerbut preventing its return, said pipe having a branch projecting below the water of said receptacle, an open-ended pipe leading from the gasometer to a service-pipe, a branch projecting below the water of said receptacle, another water-receptacle, a hollow plate located therein and provided with openings, a spring-supported gate connected with the said plate and having a central opening of sufficient size to expose the orifices in the hollow plate, the gate being of such length that its upper or lower part will close the openings in the hollow plate, a rod connected with the said gate and located in the path of a flange formed on the gasometer, and a trapped pipe leading from the hollow plate to the generator.

5. The combination of the cooling-tank, the gasometer telescoping therein, the generating-tank, a water-receptacle located below the coolingtank and having an air-space in its top communicating with the open air and an open-ended pipe leading from its bottom and extending upward to the level of the water in the receptacle, a pipe leading from the gasoineter to the generator, the extremity of the pipe within the gasometer being provided with a check-valve, allowing the gas to pass freely to the gasometer but preventing its return, said pipe having a branch projecting below the water of said receptacle, an openended pipe leading from the gasometer to a service-pipe and having a branch projecting below the water of the receptacle, a pipe rigidly connected with the cooling-tank and pro-'- jectin g above the gasometer, said pipe being provided with an orifice located above the water-line of the cooling-tank, a tube attached to the gasometer and adapted to slide on the said pipe of the cooling-tank, which pipe forms a guide for the gasometer, the said tube normally projecting below the water-level of the tank and closing the orifice of the pipe against the escape of gas, the lower extremity of said pipe being open and communicating with the air-space of the water-receptacle, another water-receptacle, a hollow plate located therein and provided with openings, a spring-supported gate connected with the said plate and having a central opening of sufficient size to expose the orifices in the hollow plate, the gate being of such length that its upper or lower part will close the openings in the hollow plate, a rod connected with the said gate and located in the path of a flange formed on the gascmeter, and a trapped pipe leading from the hollow plate to the generator.

Intestimony whereof I affix my signature in presence oftwo witnesses.

CHARLES G. HUMAN.

Witnesses:

A. J. OBRIEN, NELLIE G. DANIELS. 

